Emotions ran high Tuesday night as the Silver City Town Council considered approval of an ordinance that the town’s attorney said would clarify codes used for animal complaints. The ordinance was approved with yes votes from District 1 Councilor Rudy Bencomo, District 3 Councilor Stan Snider and District 4 Councilor Guadalupe Cano. District 2 Councilor Nicholas Prince abstained. At times during discussion of the ordinance between Town Attorney Jim Reynolds and the council, several members of the audience spoke their objections over Reynolds and were asked by Mayor Ken Ladner and Police Chief F ..read more

A Silver City man with a prior felony conviction was arrested Sunday in connection with the robbery of a downtown gallery at knifepoint — a crime similar to one for which he was convicted a year and a half ago. Caesar E. Leyba, 29, has been charged with armed robbery, a second-degree felony; two counts of aggravated assault and one count of tampering with evidence, all fourth-degree felonies; and larceny, a petty misdemeanor, after a robbery Sunday morning at Three Wise Women, 304 N. Bullard St., which sells fine arts and crafts by female artists. A motion for an expedited pretrial detention h ..read more

(Press Staff Photo by Juno Ogle) Members of the American Legion Riders from Deming and Silver City salute as the casket with the remains of U.S. Army Pfc. Richard G. Pitsor is removed from a hearse at Baca’s Funeral Chapels on Wednesday afternoon. The Legion Riders escorted the hearse from Deming to Silver City. Pitsor, a member of the 200th Coast Artillery Regiment of the U.S. National Guard, was held by the Japanese as a prisoner of war after U.S. forces surrendered at the Bataan Peninsula in April 1942. He was buried this morning with full military honors at Fort Bayard National Cemetery ..read more

By HANNAH GROVER N.M. Political Report New Mexico will receive millions in federal money to increase access to solar power. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced recipients of its $7 billion Solar for All competition awards on Monday. The state will receive $156 million through the program, which is enough to increase solar access for more than 21,000 households. The New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department will oversee the state’s Solar for All program. “The EPA’s Solar for All program is an unprecedented investment in clean, affordable renewable energy for lo ..read more

(Daily Press File Photo) Riders line up for the start of an amateur Men’s Category 1, 2 race during 2020’s Downtown Silver City Criterium stage of Tour of the Gila. By REBECCA REZA RadioTour The high-altitude mountains of southern New Mexico are set once again for an explosive week of road racing. The Tour of the Gila celebrates its 37th edition with five days of competitive cycling in and around the mining town of Silver City, starting today and running through the traditional Gila Monster finale on Sunday, April 28. Stage 1 The Tour of the Gila 2024 racecourses remain the same as in years p ..read more

By JUNO OGLE Daily Press Staff The Cobre Consolidated Schools Board of Education and one of its members have denied all claims in five civil lawsuits from former district employees alleging violation of the state whistleblower act, wrongful termination, racketeering and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The district’s former superintendent, also named as a defendant, has requested dismissal of the latter two charges. The responses were all filed earlier this month, and no hearings have been scheduled so far in any of the suits. The board met in executive session with its legal coun ..read more

​​By JUNO OGLE Daily Press Staff From Alamogordo to Wagon Mound, more than 50 school districts and charter schools have joined the New Mexico School Superintendents Association in taking legal action against a New Mexico Public Education Department rule that would essentially end four-day school weeks while adding days to many school calendars. The civil lawsuit requests a temporary restraining order stopping the PED from implementing the new rule and requests the court determine that the rule is invalid and unenforceable. The Silver Consolidated Schools and Cobre Consolidated Schools are amon ..read more

By LEAH ROMERO Source New Mexico There are more than 108,000 miles of river in New Mexico, all of which were deemed the most endangered in the country recently by a national report. American Rivers is a national nonprofit organization concerned with conservation and advocacy on behalf of the country’s rivers. The organization releases an annual report listing the country’s top 10 endangered rivers for the year. New Mexico waterways have made the list in recent years. This year the organization found enough evidence to show that recent rollbacks in national streams and wetlands protections plac ..read more

(Press Staff Photo by Juno Ogle) New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler talks with Officer Lydia Tavizon during an annual inspection of NMSP District 12 on Monday afternoon at the Grant County Veterans Memorial Business and Conference Center, 3031 U.S. 180 E. For the inspection, 26 officers of the 10,000-square-mile district were in Silver City. Afterward, they met with Weisler for an open discussion, said Wilson Silver, public information officer for the NMSP ..read more

The Board of Education of the Cobre Consolidated School District heard more harsh news at its meeting Monday night concerning its budget for the next school year, which shows an estimated revenue loss of $5.2 million. The losses will come from a combination of $1.3 million lost in funding from the state equalization guarantee as well as grant programs that are ending. At the board’s April 8 meeting, Finance Director Frank Ryan outlined an estimate of $900,000 in increased expenses next year. Monday, with more solid numbers from the Public Education Department, he outlined the expected loss in ..read more